British Columbians will soon be able to return milk and milk-substitute beverage containers for a refund.
Starting Feb. 1, consumers will pay a 10 cent deposit for each eligible milk and milk-substitute (oat, almond, soy) beverage container, to be returned when they bring the empties in for recycling.
The containers should no longer be placed in the residential blue box, according to the B.C. Ministry of Environment.
“Shifting milk containers to the deposit-refund system will capture the millions of additional plastic and fibre-based containers that were otherwise being thrown out, such as those from restaurants, schools and offices that did not have access to the residential recycling system,” the ministry said in a new release.
Containers for products such as infant formula, meal replacement/dietary supplements, coffee cream, whipping cream, buttermilk and drinkable yogurt will not be eligible for the deposit.
The change was implemented through the province’s CleanBC Plastics Action Plan.
